Unemployment Unemployme nt in India Unemployment
India Indi a as a na nati tion on is fa face ced d wi with th ma mass ssiv ive e pr prob oble lem m of un unem empl ploy oyme ment nt.. Unemployment can be defined as a state of worklessness for a man fit and willing to work. It is a condition of involuntary and not voluntary idleness. Some features of unemployment have been identified as follows: 1. Th The e in inci cide denc nce e of unemp unemplo loym ymen entt is much much hi high gher er in urban areas than in rural areas. 2. Unempl Une mploy oymen mentt rate rates s for for wo women men ar are e high higher er tha than n tho those se for for men men.. 3. The inc incide idenc nce e of une unemp mploy loyme ment nt among among the edu educat cated ed is mu much ch high higher er than than the overall unemploy unemployment. ment. 4. There The re is grea greater ter une unempl mploym oymen entt in agric agricult ultur ural al secto sectorr than than in ind indus ustri trial al and and other major sectors.
Economist Econom ists s and soc social ial thi thinke nkers rs hav have e cla class ssifi ified ed une unempl mploym oyment ent int into o var variou ious s types. Generally unemployment can be classified in two types: (1) Voluntary unemployment
In this type of unemployment a person is out of job of his own desire doesn't work on the prevalent or prescribed wages. Either he wants higher wages or does do esn' n'tt wa want nt to wo work rk at al all. l. It is in fa fact ct so soci cial al pr prob oble lem m le lead adin ing g to so soci cial al disorg dis organi anizat zation ion.. Soc Social ial pr probl oblems ems and for forces ces su such ch as a rev revolu olutio tion, n, a soc social ial upheav uph eaval, al, a cla class ss str strugg uggle, le, a fin financ ancial ial or eco econom nomic ic cri crisis sis a war bet betwee ween n nations, mental illness, political corruption mounting unemployment and crime etc. threaten the smooth working of society. Social values are often regarded as the sustaining forces of society. They contribute to the strength and stability of social order. But due to rapid social change new values come up and some of the old values decline. At the same time, people are not is a position to reject the old completely and accept the new altogether. Here, conflict between the th e ol old d an and d th the e ne new w is th the e in inev evit itab able le re resu sult lt wh whic ich h le lead ads s to th the e soc ocia iall disorganization in imposed situation. In economic terminology this situation is voluntary unemployment. (2) In voluntary unemployment
In this type of situation the person who is unemployed has no say in the matter mat ter.. It mea means ns tha thatt a per person son is sep separa arated ted fr from om rem remune unerat rative ive wor work k and devoid dev oid of wag wages es although although he is cap capabl able e of ear earnin ning g his wages wages and is als also o anxious to earn them. Forms and types of unemployment according to Hock are.
a.
Cyclical unemployment - This is the result of the trade cycle which is a
part of the capitalist system. In such a system, there is greater unemployment and when there is depression a large number of people are rendered unemployed. Since such an economic crisis is the result of trade cycle, the unemployment is a part of it. b. Sudden unemploymen unemploymentt - When at the place where workers have been employed there is some change, a large number of persons are unemployed. It all happens in the industries, trades and business where people are employed for a job and suddenly when the job has ended they are asked to go. Unemploy Unem ployment ment caus caused ed by failu failure re of Indu Industrie stries s - In many cases, a c. business a factory or an industry has to close down. There may be various factors
responsible for it there may be dispute amongst the partners, the business may give huge loss or the business may not turn out to be useful and so on. Unemployment caused by deterioration in Industry and business - In d. various vari ous indu industrie stries, s, trad trades es or bus business iness,, som sometime etimes, s, ther there e is deter deteriora ioration tion.. This deterioration may be due to various factors. In efficiency of the employers, keen competitions less profit etc. are some of the factors responsible for deterioration in the industry and the business. e. Seasonal unemploymen unemploymentt - Certain industries and traders engage workers for a particular season. When the season has ended the workers are rendered unemployed. Sugar industry is an example of this type of seasonal unemployment.
The problem of unemp unemploym loyment ent has becoming a colos colossal. sal. Various problems problems have caused this probl problem. em. There are individual individual facto factors rs like age, vocational vocational unfitness and physical disabilities which restrict the people. External factors include technological and economic factors. There is enormous increase in the population. Every year India adds to her population afresh. More than this every year about 5 milli million on peopl people e becom become e eligi eligible ble for securing securing jobs jobs.. Busin Business ess field is subject to ups and downs of trade cycle and globalization. Economic depression or sick industries are often close down compelling their employees to become unemployed. Technological advancement contributes to economic development .But unplanned and uncontrolled growth of technology is causing havoc on job opportunities. The computerization and automation has led to technological unemployment. Strikes and lockouts have become inseparable aspe as pect ct of th the e in indu dust stri rial al wo worl rld d to toda day. y. Du Due e to th thes ese e in indu dust stri ries es of ofte ten n fa face ce economic loses and production comes down. Since workers do not get any salary or wages during the strike period they suffer from economic hardships. They become permanently or temporarily unemployed. Today young people are ar e no nott re read ady y to ta take ke jo jobs bs wh whic ich h ar are e co cons nsid ider ered ed to be so soci cial ally ly degrading or lowly. Our educational system has its own irreparable defe de fect cts s an and d it its s co cont ntri ribu buti tion on to th the e un unem empl ploy oyme ment nt is an op open en truth. tru th.Our Our edu educat cation ion doe does s not pre prepar pare e the min minds ds of you young ng gen genera eratio tion n to beco be come me se self lf-e -emp mplo loye yed d on th the e con ontr trar ary y it ma make kes s th them em de depe pend nden entt on govern gov ernmen mentt vac vacanc ancies ies whi which ch are hard to com come. e. Ou Ourr Sta State te rig right ht fro from m the beginning of Five year plans has introduced several employment generating sche sc heme mes s an and d pr prog ogra ramm mmes es ov over er th the e ye year ars s bu butt in th the e ab abse senc nce e of pr prop oper er implementation and monitoring have failed to achieve the required targets. Recently UPA Government has come up with Rural Employment Guarantee program which aims to provide minimum days of employment to people living in the villages. This is a laudable programme if implemented sincerely because it will provide employment to people during natural calamities like drought, floods etc. The remedial measures for reducing unemployment may lay greater emphasis on creation of opportunities for self -employment, augmentation of productivity and income levels of the working poor, shift in emphasis from creation of relief type of employment to the building up of durable productive assets in the rural areas and instead of attempting to revert somewhat to protectionist policies the pace of privatization may be accelerated.
Poverty in India According to a recent Indian government committee constituted to estimate poverty, nearly 38% of India’s population (380 million) is poor. This report is based on new methodology and the figure is 10% higher than the present poverty estimate of 28.5%. The committee was headed by SD Tendulkar has used a different methodology to reach at the current figure. It has taken into consideration indicators for heath, hea th, edu educat cation ion,, san sanita itatio tion, n, nut nutrit rition ion and inc income ome as per Nat Nation ional al Sam Sample ple Survey Organization survey of 2004-05.This new methodology is a complex scientific basis aimed at addressing the concern raised over the current poverty estimation. Since 1972 poverty has been defined on basis of the money required to buy food worth 2100 calories in urban areas and 2400 calories in rural areas. In June this year a government committee headed by NC Saxena committee estima est imated ted 50% Ind Indian ians s wer were e poo poorr as aga agains instt Pla Planni nning ng Com Commis missio sion’s n’s 200 2006 6 figure of 28.5%. Povert Pove rty y is on one e of th the e ma main in pr prob oble lems ms wh whic ich h ha have ve at attr trac acte ted d at atte tent ntio ion n of sociologists and economists. It indicates a condition in which a person fails to maintain a living standard adequate for his physical and mental efficiency. It is a situation people want to escape. It gives rise to a feeling of a discrepancy between what one has and what one should have. The term poverty is a rela re lati tive ve co conc ncep ept. t. It is ve very ry di diff ffic icult ult to dr draw aw a de dema marc rcat atio ion n li line ne be betw twee een n affl af flue uenc nce e an and d po pove vert rty. y. Ac Acco cord rdin ing g to Ad Adam am Sm Smit ith h - Ma Man n is ri rich ch or po poor or according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessaries, the conveniences and the amusements of human life. Even after more than 50 years of Independence India still has the world's larges lar gestt num number ber of poo poorr peo people ple in a sin single gle country. country. Of its nearly nearly 1 bil billio lion n inhabitants, an estimated 260.3 million are below the poverty line, of which 193.2 million are in the rural areas and 67.1 million are in urban areas. More than 75% of poor people reside in villages. Poverty level is not uniform across India. The poverty level is below 10% in states like Delhi, Goa, and Punjab etc whereas it is below 50% in Bihar (43) and Orissa (47). It is between 30-40% in Nor Northe theast astern ern sta states tes of As Assam sam,, Tri Tripur pura, a, and Meh Mehgal galaya aya and in Sou Southe thern rn states of TamilNadu and Uttar Pradesh. Poverty has many dimensions changing from place to place and across time. There are two inter-related aspects of poverty-Urban and rural poverty. The main causes of urban poverty are predominantly due to impoverishment of rura ru rall pe peas asan antr try y th that at fo forc rces es th them em to mo move ve ou outt of vi vill llag ages es to se seek ek so some me subsistence living in the towns and cities. In this process, they even lose the open space or habitat they had in villages albeit without food and other basic amenities. When they come to the cities, they get access to some food though other sanitary facilities including clean water supply still elude them. And they have to stay in the habitats that place them under sub-human conditions. While a select few have standards of living comparable to the richest in the world, the majority fails to get two meals a day. The causes of rural poverty are man manifo ifold ld inc includ luding ing ina inadeq dequat uate e and ine ineffe ffecti ctive ve imp implem lement entati ation on of ant antiipoverty programmes.The overdependence on monsoon with non-availability of
irrigational facilities often result in crop-failure and low agricultural productivity forcing farmers in the debt-traps. The rural communities tend to spend large percen per centag tage e of ann annual ual ear earnin nings gs on soc social ial cer ceremo emonie nies s lik like e mar marria riage; ge; feas feastt etc.Our economic development since Independence has been lopsided .There has been increase in unemployment creating poverty like situations for many. Population is growing at an alarming rate. The size of the Indian family is relatively bigger averaging at 4.2.The other causes include dominance of caste system which forces the individual to stick to the traditional and hereditary occupations. Since the 1970s the Indian government has made poverty reduction a priority in its dev develo elopme pment nt pla plann nning ing.. Pol Polici icies es hav have e foc focuse used d on imp improv roving ing the poo poorr standa sta ndard rd of liv living ing by ens ensuri uring ng foo food d sec securi urity, ty, pro promot moting ing sel self-e f-empl mploym oyment ent through greater access to assets, increasing wage employment and improving access to basic social services. Launched in 1965, India's Public Distribution System has helped meet people's basic food needs by providing rations at subsidized prices. Although it has affected less than 20% of the Poor's food purchases, the system has been important in sustaining people's consumption of cereals, especially in periods of drought. It has provided women and girls with better access to food and helped overcome the widespread discrimination against female consumption within households. It has also reduced the burden of women, who are responsible for providing food for the household. The larges largestt cred credit-bas it-based ed gove governmen rnmentt pover poverty ty reduc reduction tion progr programme amme in the worl wo rld, d, th the e In Inte tegr grat ated ed Ru Rura rall De Deve velo lopm pmen entt Pr Prog ogra ramm mme e pr prov ovid ides es ru rura rall household hous eholds s below the pover poverty ty line with cred credit it to purch purchase ase inco income-gen me-generatin erating g assets. Launched in 1979, the programme has supplied subsidized credit to such groups as small and margi marginaliz nalized ed farme farmers, rs, agricultural agricultural labor laborers, ers, rural artisans, the physically handicapped, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Within this target population, 40% of the beneficiaries are supposed to be women. Although the programme has reached 51 million families, only 27% of the borrowers have been women. The programme has significantly increased the income of 57% of assisted families. Rural poverty is largely a result of low productivity and unemployment. The Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, a national public works scheme launched in 1989 with financing from the central and state governments, provides more than 700 million person days of work a year about 1% of total employment for people with few opportunities for employment. The scheme has two components: a programme to provide low-cost housing and one to supply free irrigation wells to poor and marginalized farmers. The public works scheme is self-targeting. Since Sin ce it off offers ers emp employ loymen mentt at the sta statut tutory ory min minimu imum m wag wage e for uns unskil killed led manual labor, only those willing to accept very low wages the poor are likely to enroll in the scheme. By providing regular employment and thereby increasing the bargaining bargaining power of all rural workers, the public works scheme has had a sign si gnif ific ican antt ef effe fect ct in re redu duci cing ng po pove vert rty. y. It ha has s al also so con ontr trib ibut uted ed to th the e constr con struct uction ion of rur rural al inf infras rastru tructu cture re (ir (irrig rigati ation on wor works ks,, a soi soill con conse serva rvatio tion n project, drinking water supply). Evaluations show that 82% of available funds have hav e bee been n ch chann annele eled d to com commu munit nity y dev develo elopme pment nt pro projec jects. ts. Tar Target geting ing was improv imp roved ed in 199 1996 6 wh when en the hou housin sing g and irr irriga igatio tion n wel welll com compon ponent ents s wer were e delinked and focused exclusively on people below the poverty line. TRYSEM (Training rural youth for self employment) was started to provide technical skills to the rural youth and to help them to get employment in fields
such as agriculture, industry, services and business activities. Youth of the poor families belonging to the age-group of 18-35 are entitled to avail the benefits of the scheme. Priority is given to persons belonging to ST/SC and exservicemen and about 1/3 seats are reserved for women. Minimum Needs Programme was taken up as an integral part of the 5th Five Year Plan and it was intended to cater to the minimum needs of the people such as rural water supply, rural health, road building, adult education, primary education, rural electrification and improvement of the urban slums etc.With the intention of remo re movi ving ng ur urba ban n un unem empl ploy oyme ment nt som ome e sc sche heme mes s su such ch as SE SEPU PUP P (S (Sel elffempl em ploy oyme ment nt pr prog ogra ramm mme e fo forr th the e ur urba ban n po poor or); ); SE SEEU EUY Y (S (Sch chem eme e fo forr se self lf-employment of the educated urban youths) .These schemes gives loans and subsidies for the urban unemployed youths to create or to find for themselves some som e job jobs. s. The SEPUP SEPUP had pr provi ovided ded fin financ ancial ial hel help p for about 1.19 urb urban an unemployed youths in the year 190-91. The participation participation of civil society organizations organizations in pover poverty ty reduc reduction tion efforts, especi esp eciall ally y tho those se dir direct ected ed to wo women men,, has inc increas reased ed soc social ial awa awaren reness ess and encouraged governments to provide better services. Cooperatives such as the Self-Employed Women's Association provide credit to women at market rates of interest but do not require collateral; they also allow flexibility in the use of loans and the timing of repayments. These civil society organizations have not only onl y con contri tribut buted ed to wom women' en's s mat materi erial al wel welll bei being; ng; the they y hav have e als also o hel helped ped empowe emp owerr the them m soc social ially ly and pol politi itical cally. ly. Suc Such h cre credit dit ini initia tiativ tives, es, by bri bringi nging ng women out of the confines of the household, are changing their status within the th e fa fami mily ly an and d wi with thin in vi vill llag age e hi hier erar arch chies ies.. Th The e de dema mand nds s of ci civi vill so soci ciet ety y organizations for better social services have spurred the government to launch campaigns campa igns to incr increase ease literacy and impro improve ve publi public c infra infrastruc structure. ture. And their calls for greater accountability and real devolution of power are increasing the likeli lik elihoo hood d tha thatt exp expend enditu itures res for pov povert erty y red reduct uction ion wil willl rea reach ch the nee needy, dy, especially women. The Ind Indian ian sta state te has un undou doubte btedly dly fai failed led in its res respon ponsib sibilit ilities ies tow toward ards s its citizens over the last 50 odd years. There is a need for the state to move out of many areas and the process has been started with economic liberalization. The process of decentralization should devolute lot more powers, both functional and financial, to panc panchayat hayats. s. The lack of trans transparenc parency y and accountability accountability has hampered our economic development at all levels. The problem of poverty persists because of a number of leakages in the system. New laws have to be evolved to ensure more accountability. Bodies like the Planning Commission should be modified into new constitutional bodies that can hold governments accountable for their failure to implement development programmes. A strong system sys tem of inc incent entive ives s and dis disinc incent entive ives s als also o nee needs ds to be int introd roduce uced. d. The enco en cour urag agem emen entt of no nonn-go gove vern rnme ment ntal al or orga gani niza zati tion ons s an and d pr priv ivat ate e se sect ctor or individuals in tackling poverty is imperative, as the state cannot do everything.
Public Health System in India
Public hea Public health lth sys system tem in Ind India ia suf suffer fers s fro from m man many y pro proble blems ms whi which ch inc includ ludes es insufficient funding, shortage of facilities leading to overcrowding and severe shortage of trained health personnel. There is also lack of accountability in the public health delivery mechanisms. These are some of the reasons which have placed India at the lowest rank in the Human Development Index. India how India howeve everr ho holds lds top pos positi ition on in mig migrat ration ion of phy physic sicians ians to dev develo eloped ped countries like UK and the US. According to Planning Commission the country has ha s a sh shor ortf tfal alll of si six x lak lakh h do doct ctor ors, s, 10 la lakh kh nu nurs rses es an and d tw two o la lakh kh de dent ntal al surgeons. This has led to a dismal patient-doctor ratio in the country. For every 10,000 Indians, there is just one doctor. The much publicized National Urban Health Mission is yet to see the light of day. The scheme plans to monitor and improve the health of 22 crore people living in urban slums in 429 cities and towns. It was to be launched mid 2008 but the mis missio sion n is yet to bec become ome function functional. al.NUR NURM M is aim aimed ed at pro provid viding ing access acc essibl ible, e, aff afford ordabl able, e, eff effect ective ive and rel reliab iable le pri primar mary y hea health lth car care e fac facilit ilities ies especially to urban poor. Even for NHRM there is limited progress due to lack of standardization of medical facilities. India has banned tobacco consumption in public places but only 12 states have started implementing the ban. More than 10 lakh people at present die in India every year due to tobacco consumption. At present more than 57% male and 10.9% female consume tobacco while 15% children consume tobacco. Female fet Female fetici icide de con contin tinues ues to tar tarnis nish h Ind India’ ia’s s ima image. ge.The The chi child ld sex rat ratio io (0(0-6 6 years) was 945 (1991 census) and this declined to 927 girls per thousand boys (in (i n 20 2001 01 ce cens nsus us). ).Th The e fi figu gure res s ar are e al alar armi ming ng in pr pros ospe pero rous us st stat ates es li like ke Punjab(798 Punj ab(798),Har ),Haryana yana (819) (819),Chan ,Chandigarh digarh (845) (845),Delhi ,Delhi (868) (868),Guja ,Gujarat rat (883) and Himachal Pradesh (896). Number of PHCs,CHC and SCs
Year
CHC
PHC
SC
2 00 7
4,045
22,370
1, 45,272
Infant Mortality Rate
Year
Rural
Urban
Total
2 00 7
61
37
55
Number of Health Care Workers
Year
2 00 7
Doctors PHCs
22,608
at
Specialists PHC
5,117
at
Health workers
Health workers
Male
Female
62,881
1, 47,439
Universalization Universalizatio n of Education E ducation in India: Right to Education Bill Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela India’s greatest wealth lies in its human resources. Universal schooling of decent quality could be the single biggest move it makes towards future prosperity. prosperity. Towards this end the Government has come up with Right to Education Bill which promises free education for every child in the 6-14 age- group. Education requires substantative not just symbolic action. Merely passing laws without sustained political attention that plugs financial and administrative gaps in the school sector is going to fail. One of the problems of taking a purely legislative view is to define who will be held responsible if a child doesn’t attend school.
A related problem is to set out clearly who will pick up the bill for universal educ ed ucat atio ion, n, es esti tima mate ted d to co cost st Rs 55, 55,000 000 cr cror ore e a ye year ar to im impl plem emen ent. t. It is supposed to split between the centre and states but the precise arrangement is yet to be known. The most controversial provision of the Bill is to drag the private sector in by imposing an obligation on private schools to take in at least 25% of its students of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their fees will supposedly be paid by the government, a promise it’s unlikely to keep. Providing Prov iding free educa education tion for all shou should ld be unamb unambiguou iguously sly the gover government nment’s ’s responsibility. Countries haven’t made rapid strides towards universal literacy by palming off the responsibility on the private sector. That will stunt the growth of the private sector rather than lead to universal literacy.
Educational problems of women in India In spite of certain outstanding examples of individual achievement of Indian woman and a definite improvement in their general condition over the last one
hundred years, it remains true that our woman still constitute a large body of under - privileged citizens. Women of course do not form a homogenous group in class or caste terms. Nevertheless, they face distinctive problems that call forr sp fo spec ecia iall at atte tent ntio ion. n. Th The e Ba Back ckwa ward rd Cl Clas asse ses s Co Comm mmis issi sion on se sett up by th the e Government of India in 1953 classified women of India as a backward group requiring special attention. The ministry of Education clubs girls with Scheduled Castes and Tribes as the three most backward groups in education. Ram Manohar Lohia considered the lot of women to be similar to that of Harijans. Realizing the enormity of the problems of Indian women the Government of India has appointed a separate committee on the Status of Women in India, The social backwardness of Indian women points to the great hiatus between their legal status which is more or less equal to that of men, and their actual position in society, which is still far from the ideal which exists on paper. The educational, economic, political and social backwardness of women makes them the largest group hindering the process of rapid social change. It is inevitable that when this ‘backward’ group has the major responsibility of bringing up future generations the advancement of society cannot be rapid or take tak e any sig signif nifica icant nt for form m of dev develo elopme pment. nt. In the report report of the com commit mittee tee appointed appoi nted by the National Council for Women Women’s ’s Education it was emphatically emphatically stated that what was needed to convert the equality of women from de jure to be fac facto to sta status tus was wid widesp esprea read d edu educat cation ion for girls and wom women en and a reeducation of men and women to accept new and scientific attitudes towards each other and to themselves. themselves. A chan changing ging society and a devel developing oping economy economy can not make any headway if education, which is one of the important agents affe af fect ctin ing g th the e no norm rms s of mo mora rali lity ty an and d cu cult ltur ure, e, re rema main ins s in th the e ha hand nd of traditionalists who subscribe to a fragmented view of the country’s and the world’s heritage. The differences between the positions of men and women in society will not lessen; leave aside disappear, as long as there are differences betw be tween een th the e ed educ ucat atio ion n of me men n an and d wo wome men. n. In Inad adeq equa uate te ed educ ucat atio ion n or no education is the most important factor contributing to the backwardness of our masses, mass es, especially especially our womenfolk. womenfolk. It is the low litera literacy cy among women which brings national literacy figure so low. This gap which exists between the literacy rates of the two sexes also exists between betwe en the enrol enrolment ment of girls and boys at all levels of educa education. tion. Right from the primary school to the university, we find that the number of girl students is considerable lower than the number of boy students. According to Article 45 of the Constitution, universal compulsory and free education until the age of 14 was to be achieved by the year 1960. Looking at the present condition of primary education in villages, it seems doubtful that 100 per cent enrolment of girls can be achieved by the end of this century. There is no doubt that we have made great headway in the education of women in the last century. It is unfortunately true of our society that children are sent to school not acco according rding to their intelligenc intelligence e or aptitude but according to their sex. Such attitudes need to be changed without further delay if we want to achieve 100 per cent enrolment of the primary schoolgoing children. Although the disparity between the enrolment of girls and boys has been lessening in the urban areas, the gap between their enrolments is still very wide specially in rural areas. The reasons for this are both economic and social.
The economic structure of rural areas is such that children, especially girls, are required to help in household work and perform their chores. Young girls have to look after their younger brothers and sisters, have to get water from the well, have to carry food to the father in the field, etc. Since there is so much to be done at home, they cannot be spared for the luxury of attending a school. The resources of the poor farmer are so limited that he does not have anything a nything to spare for the education of his children. If there are resources available it the boy who is sent to school first. Parents also do not see the value of educating their children children specially specially daugh daughters ters who would get marri married ed after all and be only housewives. Since they cannot see any direct relationship between education and eco econom nomic ic bet better termen ment, t, the they y hav have e ver very y lit little tle mot motiva ivatio tion n to sen send d the their ir children to school. It is still not being realized that there is definite connection between education, good goo d mot mother herho hood od and eff effici icient ent hou house se man manage agemen ment. t. The man manage agemen mentt of millions of household and the upbringing of millions of children in thus is the hands of illiterate women. It is here that a change is required if our democratic and socialistic intensions are not to remain a mere pretence. People can be motivated to have their children educated only if educational system is directly link li nked ed wi with th ec econ onom omic ic an and d so soci cial al de deve velo lopm pmen ent. t. As lo long ng as ou ourr ed educ ucat atio ion n remains oblivious of the felt needs of people to solve their immediate problems and on the contrary, actually alienates them from their natural, social and cultural surroundings, they will rightly resist sending their children to school. It is the area of primary education, especially in rural areas, which should be given maximum attention. Primary education for both girls and boys is what we should be concerned about while planning our policies and allocation funds. It is this sector of our education structure that gets neglected in favor of all sorts of institutes of ‘higher learning’ and ‘research’ of a kind that are neither relevant nor pertinent to our pressing problems. The role of women outside home is becoming an important and even essential feature of our present day reality.
Alcoholism It is no now w ge gene nera rall lly y re reco cogn gniz ized ed th that at alc alcoh ohol ol li like ke th the e op opiu ium m pr prod oduc ucts ts is a narcotic. But alcoholism constitutes a special problem because of the wider use of alcohol and because of its entrenchment in the social customs. Alcoholism is
a condition in which the individual has lost control over his alcohol intake in that he is constantly unable to refrain from drinking once he begins. According to Adolf Meyer alcoholism is the development of an insistent craving for alcohol and its efffec ef ectts. It is also defined as that condition characterized by a relatively permanent, persistent desire for alcohol for the sake sak e of its anticipat anticipated ed eff effect ects s upo upon n bod body y and mind. For Kel Keller ler and Efr Efron on alcoholism is characterized by the repeated drinking of alcoholic beverages to an extent that exceeds customary use or compliance with the social customs of the community and that interferes with the drinker’s health or his social or economic functioning. Broadly speaking alcoholism has been characterized by four factors • Excessive intake of alcoholic beverages • Individual’s increasing worry over his drinking • Loss of the drinker’s control over his own drinking • Disturbance in his functioning in the social world Studies have been made only to throw scientific Studies scientific light upon the question as to why people are addicted to the immoderate use of alcohol. In the study of chroni chr onic c alc alcoho oholic lics s it was fou found nd tha thatt a cer certai tain n per percen centag tage e of ine inebri briate ates s are pathological individuals referred as constitutional alcoholics. The industrialization of society and the mechanization of the industry have put strains upon individuals to which the previous experience of the race has not adapted. The social conventions incite the formation of alcoholic habits. The pres pr essu sure re of so soci cial al cu cust stom oms s ha has s ex exer erte ted d an im impo port rtan antt in infl flue uenc nce e in th the e production of alcoholism. There are certain persons who are unable to face the harsh realities of life and start drinking to overcome their inadequacy. Men engaged in manual work have long been deluded in the belief that alcohol furnishes added strength and vigour with which they can pursue their labour. Men drink because their occupation has completely exhausted them. They look forward eagerly to the respite which intoxication affords after the heat of the blast furnace or the stench of the dockyards. Excessive consumption of alcohol can make a person addicted to it. An addict is one whose drinking habit causes several problems in one or more areas of his life for instance his family relationships, jobs, financial status etc. And in spite of all these problems, he will continue to drink alcohol because his body gets so accustomed over a period of time to the presence of alcohol that if it its s us use e is st stop oppe ped d su sudd dden enly ly he wi will ll de deve velo lop p wi with thdr draw awal al sy symp mpto toms ms li like ke tremors, fits etc. Such a state is called physical dependence. Alcohol becomes so central to his thoughts, emotions and activities that he is simply unable to think thi nk of any anythi thing ng els else. e. Th This is con condit dition ion is cal called led psy psycho cholog logica icall dep depend endenc ence. e. Alco Al coho holi lic c ad addi dict ctio ion n is a di dise seas ase e ra rath ther er th than an la lack ck of wi will ll po powe werr or mo mora rall weakness. weakn ess. Unless the pers person on stops drinking, drinking, his/ his/her her cond condition ition will becom become e worse over a period of time. Jellinck an American psychologist maintains that a drinker passes through various stages to become an alcoholic. These are: -
1. Bl Blac acko kout uts s in wh whic ich h th the e in indi divi vidu dual al is no nott ab able le to fi find nd a so solu luti tion on to hi his s individual problems. 2. Sneaking drinks in which he takes alcohol without being observed. 3. Increased tolerance, in which he tolerates the increased effects of drinking. 4. Loss of control in which he fails to control the desire of not taking alcohol. 5. Development of an alibi system in which he gradually starts neglecting his social roles. 6. Going on periodic benders 7. Regular drinking in which he starts taking alcohol in the morning. The problem of alcoholism in terms of personal misery, family budget, discord, and loss of wages, failure of health, accidents and cost in damage claims, cost of hospital treatment, cost in custodial treatment, inducement to crime are almost disastrous. A good number of persons arrested for crimes like rape, burglary, murder and theft are those who committed them under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is a major factor in the highway accidents. Since alcoholism affects the family members, friends and even the community, it affects millions of peo people ple in the cou countr ntry. y. Dri Drinki nking ng red reduce uces s one one’s ’s ope operat ration ional al act activi ivitie ties s and efficiency to below the minimum level necessary for social existence. There are various programmes and measures for alcohol treatment: • De Deto toxi xifi fica cati tion on in ho hosp spit ital als: s: Al Alco coho hols ls ne need ed me medi dica call ca care re an and d me medi dica call supervision. Tranquilizers are used for treating their withdrawal symptoms like hall ha lluc ucin inati ation ons. s. Vi Vita tami mins ns an and d el elec ectr trol olyt yte e ba bala lanc nce e ar are e us used ed fo forr ph phys ysic ical al rehabilitation. • Involving an alcoholic’s family in his treatment and rehabilitation enhances the chances of success by 75 to 80%. • On One e of th the e ef effe fect ctiv ive e so soci cial al th ther erap apie ies, s, wh whic ich h us use e gr grou oup p in inte tera ract ctio ions ns,, is Alcoholics Anonymous. It is an organization of ex-alcoholics, which started in USA in early 1940s.In this, the members share, their experience with other alcoho alc oholic lics s and give the them m str streng ength th and hope in an att attemp emptt to sol solve ve the their ir common problems and recover from alcoholism. These a ssociations are located in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata etc. • Treatment centres: These centres are developed as alternative centres to hospital treatment having 10-12 residents. Counselling and anti-drinking rules are observed. • Changing values through education: Some voluntary organizations undertake educational and information programmes to alert the alcoholics to the danger of excessive drinking. Social workers help the drinkers in coping with life and changing the social values and attitudes about drinking. There shou There should ld be activ active e comm community unity invol involvemen vementt agains againstt drink drinking.Na ing.Nationw tionwide ide prohibition of intoxicating drinks may check smuggling of liquor into the dry areas from the wet areas. Drinking is a social problem and mere legalistic approach to prohibition is not likely to succeed. Education, persuasion, creation of public opinion and number of other positive measures has to be taken if prohibition were to succeed reasonably. The media portrayal of drinking should
be ban banned ned.. Gov Govern ernmen mentt sho should uld enc encour ourage age and pro provid vide e fin financ ancial ial hel help p to voluntary volun tary soci social al and othe otherr nonnon-gover governmen nmental tal organ organizati izations ons engage engaged d in deaddiction programmes and prohibition campaigns
Population –The trends in India India @ Risk 2007, a report published during the India Econ Ec onom omic ic Su Summ mmit it,, 20 2007 07 has has re reve veal aled ed fo foll llow owin ing g important facts: •
Growing India: India is the world's second most populous country and is
expected to be the most populous by 2040.The country is undergoing the same forces of demographic transition that have been experienced elsewhere, only delayed by few decades. Young India: Over 700 million Indians are below 35 years of age and over 550 million are below 25.However despite its youthful population, India's size means that it is home to the second largest number of older people in the world, in absolute terms.
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Unequal India: The rising income gap is creating an urban-rural divide and a north-south imbalance. A quarter of India's population lives below the poverty line with most living off the land on small farms with little access to new technology. Urbanizing India: Almost 70% of Indians still reside in rural areas although in recent decades migration to larger cities has led to a dramatic increase in the country's urban population. Mega city India: India is home to around 18% of the world's population but accounts for only 2.42% of the total world area; the emergence of mega cities is inevitable. Aspiration Aspi rational al India: Th The e em emer ergi ging ng mi midd ddle le cl clas ass s wi will ll su surg rge e te tenf nfol old; d; exceeding 500 million by 2025.It will command 60% of the country's spending power.
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Polio in India -Latest Situation India has earned itself the dubious distinction of having the world's world's highest highest number number of pol polio io cas cases es in ju just st 2 months month s of 2008. 2008.Acco According rding to Global Polio Eradi Eradication cation Initiative Data ,India has recorded 82 polio cases till Feb 27.In comparison three other countries Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan have together recorded just 23 cases in the same period. On March 6 Indian has 106 confirmed polio cases of which 105 are P3 strains and one case of P1infection.According to Mr Ramadoss Union Health Minister the country's polio programme is failing to
achieve its purpose.Over half of the world's polio cases were reported in the country last year. Bihar which reported 193 fresh cases of the crippling disease in 2007 has been exporting polio strains across the country. Experts have now marked out 72 blocks in the state as high risk. In 2007 90% of P1cases were found in these block blo cks s alo along ng the Kos Kosii Riv River. er. Acc Accord ording ing to the off offici icials als add additi itiona onall hum human an resources are being provided to strengthen the polio campaign in these difficult areas. By March end 300 community mobilizers are being appointed in these blocks who will impress upon locals on the benefits and importance of polio immunization. Five immunization rounds in the first half of 2008 and three rounds in the second half have been planned. In Bihar special focus will be directed to the 72 high risk clusters.P1 causes paralysis in 1 out of every 200 children as compared to P3 which causes paralysis in 1 out of every 1000 infections
Literacy in India Litera Lite racy cy is an ef effe fect ctiv ive e in inst stru rume ment nt fo forr so soci cial al an and d economic econ omic development development and natio national nal integ integration ration.. It is defined in Census operations, as the ability to read and write with understanding in any language. Any formal education or minimum educational standard is not necessary to be considered literate. The latest census report (2001) reveal that at the beginning of new millennium literacy rate in India stands at 65.38% with male literacy level at 75.85%and female literacy level at 54.16%. There has been only marginal increase in literacy level from the last census in 1991 (literacy level was 52.2%). The pace of progress in literacy rates, as revealed by decennial censuses, is very slow in India. Between 1961 and 1991, a span of thirty years, literacy rate has gone up by a mere 23.9 percentage points, from 28.3 in 1961 to 52.2 in 1991.From 1991 to 2001 there is 13.36%increase. However the literacy scenario in India is characterized by wide inequalities among different sections of the population. The female literacy rate is still low in comparison to male population. Country's half of the female population is still illiterate even after so many years of independence. No less disturbing is the rural-urban disparity in literacy rates that again differ by ever a wider margin the disparity has persisted over the years. The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes form two other specially disadvantaged population groups in India and disparity in their case cas e too is equ equall ally y wid wide e and per persis sistin ting. g. Fi Finall nally, y, the there re agai again n exi exists sts a wid wide e dispar dis parity ity amo among ng the var variou ious s reg region ions/ s/sta states tes in Ind India ia vis vis-à-à-vis vis the their ir lit litera eracy cy rate ra tes. s. At th the e to top p of th the e hi hier erar arch chy, y, li lies es th the e st stat ate e of Ke Kera rala la th that at ha has s an exceptionally high literacy rate of 90.92 %. This is basically because of strong social movements in this state even during the pre-independence period. For Bihar (the least literate state) the rate is merely 47.53 %.In Bihar, Kishanganj district has the lowest literacy rate (31% for males and 18.49% for females) When illiteracy begins to impinge upon livelihoods issues it becomes critic cri tical. al. Ill Illite iterac racy y oft often en res result ults s in mis missed sed opp opport ortuni unitie ties. s. Wom Women en usuall usu ally y rec receiv eive e low lower er wag wages es tha than n men men.. In Kis Kishan hangan ganjj dis distri trict ct of
Bihar women and girls work in the tea gardens and brickklins but as they are illiterate they often get exploited and do not get proper wages. Both men and women often earn less than the minimum wage but they are often unaware of the Minimum Wages Act. Illiteracy and lack of information can adversely affect human rights. In an era when technology has shrunk the world into a global village and when information has been brought to the fingertips of a small section of society, it would be unfortunate if the masses were denied access to basic information due to the inability to read and write. During the first Five Year Plan, the program of Social Education, inclusive of literacy, was introduced as part of the Community Development Program 1952. The National Policy on Education in 1968 not only endorsed the reco re comm mmen enda dati tion ons s of th the e Ed Educ ucat atio ion n Co Comm mmis issi sion on bu butt al also so re reit iter erat ated ed th the e significance of universal literacy and developing adult and continuing education as matters of priority. While the formal elementary education program was supple sup plemen mented ted by a Non Non-fo -forma rmall Edu Educat cation ion sy syste stem, m, it was also dec decide ided d to undertake Adult Literacy programs culminating in the Total Literacy mission approach. (a) A multi-pronged approach of universalization of elementary education and univ un iver ersa sall ad adul ultt li lite tera racy cy ha has s be been en ad adop opte ted d fo forr ac achi hiev evin ing g to tota tall li lite tera racy cy.. (b)) A sy (b syst stem emat atic ic pr prog ogra ram m of no nonn-fo form rmal al ed educ ucat atio ion n in th the e ed educ ucat atio iona nall lly y backward states. (c)) Th (c The e Nat Nation ional al Lit Litera eracy cy Mis Missio sion n tha thatt aim aims s at mak making ing 100 mil millio lion n adu adults lts literate. The major thrust of these programs is on promotion of literacy among women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes particularly in the rural areas. The Adul Ad ultt Ed Educ ucati ation on Pr Prog ogra ram m co cons nsis ists ts of th thre ree e co comp mpon onen ents ts:: ba basi sic c li lite tera racy cy (including numeracy), functionality and civic awareness. The third component is obv obviou iously sly lit literac eracy. y. The Nat Nation ional al Adu Adult lt Edu Educat cation ion Pro Progra gram m (NA (NAEP EP)) was inaugurated on October 2, 1978. Then came the National Literacy Mission (NLM). In 1989, the district-based Total Literacy Campaigns (TLC) emerged as a program strategy for the National Literacy Mission against this background. In the budget of 1999-2000, the total allocation of resources (both Plan and non-plan) non-p lan) for the four programs of Eleme Elementary ntary Education, Education, Opera Operation tion Black board, Non-formal education and Adult Education was 3037, 400, 350 and 113.4 crores respectively. The Total Literacy campaign districts had been set the optimistic goal of achieving 80% literacy amongst the target age-group of 15-35 years. Now Sarva Shikha Abiyan is doing rounds in all the districts in most of the states for which there is huge fund allocation under 9th and 10th Five year plans. In sp spit ite e of th the e en enor ormo mous us ex expa pans nsio ion n of ad adul ultt ed educ ucat atio ion, n, no nonf nfor orma mall an and d elementary education in India, the problem of illiteracy has been lingering on. It is bo both th co colo loss ssal al an and d co comp mple lex x gi give ven n th the e si size ze of th the e co coun untr try, y, it its s hu huge ge population, wide regional and gender disparities, economic and other cultural factors facto rs such as pover poverty, ty, communalism, communalism, casteism casteism etc. It needs action from peop pe ople le,, co comm mmun unit itie ies s Go Gove vern rnme ment nt ag agen enci cies es,, NG NGOs Os an and d in inte tern rnat atio iona nall organizations such as UN bodies to totally eradicate illiteracy from India.
Dowry System in India Dowry Do wry is der derive ived d fro from m the anc ancien ientt Hin Hindu du cu custo stoms ms of "ka "kanya nyadan dan"" and "st "strid ridha han". n". In
"kanyadan", the father of the bride offers the father of the groom money or property, etc. wher wh ereas eas for "stridh "stridhan" an",, the br bride ide her hersel selff get gets s jew jewelr elry y an and d clo clothe thes s at the tim time e of her marriage, usually from her relatives or friends. In "varadakshina", the father of the bride presents the groom cash or kind. All of these could be done voluntarily and out of affection and love. The Hindu marriage marriage syst system em is sacr sacramen amental. tal. Acc Accordin ording g to this syst sy stem em,, a ma marr rria iage ge is fo fore reve ver, r, an and d th ther ere e is no sc scop ope e fo forr a separation. Among the various ceremonies previously practiced, the ceremony in front of a "godly" fire ("Yajna" in Sanskrit) has taken over, the antiquated system of "marrying a wife by capture. This form of marriage began the practice of dowry, where originally, the family of the bride would accept gifts and money from the groom's (potential conqueror's) family as an alternative to bloodshed during the capture of the bride. A later modification of this system has paved way for the present dowry system primarily practiced by the society.
The dowry custom continues to rule society. In majority of Indian families the boy has inheritance rights while the girl is given a hefty sum at the time of her marriage in lieu of the Government regulated equal rights for girls in parental property. The evil of the dowry system has spread its tentacles in almost all parts of the country and sections of society. There are several reasons for the prevalence of the dowry system, but the main one is that it is a necessary precon pre condit dition ion for mar marria riage. ge. "No dow dowry, ry, no mar marria riage, ge,"" is a wid widesp esprea read d fea fear. r. There has also been an emergence of a feudal mindset with a materialistic attitude in a new globalized economy. The price tag for the groom is now bigger and bolder. The emergence of an affluent middle class, the torchbearer of social change in modern India, is the main factor for the perpetuation of the dowry system. Families arrange most marriages, and a man who does not marry for love learns he can marry for possessions. For this man, and his family, famil y, a woma woman n becomes the tick ticket et to shor shortcut tcut riches through through the syst system em of dowry. There are a number of things people desire to have in their own houses but cannot afford; they use the opportunity of a son's marriage to get them. The girl's parents do not protest against the blatant extravaganza, as they regard the alliance as a stepping-stone towards higher social status and better matches for the remaining children. Dowry as a phenomenon has gone beyond the rit ritual ual of mar marria riage. ge. Pre Pregna gnancy ncy,, chi childb ldbirt irth h and all kin kinds ds of rel religi igious ous and fami fa mily ly fu func ncti tion ons s ar are e oc occa casi sion ons s wh when en su such ch de dema mand nds s ar are e ma made de.. A mo more re sophisticated public image of an extended gifting session has replaced the old syst sy stem em.. No Now w th ther ere e is de dema mand nd fo forr re rece cept ptio ions ns in ma marr rriag iage e pa pala lace ces. s. Th The e trousseau trous seau includes includes desig designer ner wear for the bride and groom groom's 's family. Chefs are flown in for multi-cuisine wedding dinners. The bride's family usually pays for all this. The rich revel in the exchange of their black money, but this in turn exer ex erts ts pr pres essu sure re on th the e ot othe herr cl clas asse ses s to ap ape e th them em wi with th se seri riou ous s so soci cial al consequences. The women have become a kind of commodity. It is them who are the worst sufferers because dowry is most often a monetary agreement between two men - the bride's father and the groom. Caste-based practices have only added fuel to the fire. Marriages in political families are arranged to consol con solida idate te the cas caste te bas base e for support support in elec elector toral al pol politi itics, cs, so the they y do not chal ch alle leng nge e th the e do dow wry sy syst stem em.. Do Dowr wry y ri ritu tual als s ha have ve no now w sp spre read ad ev even en to commun com muniti ities es wh where ere the they y wer were e unk unknow nown. n. It has gon gone e to dif differ ferent ent cas castes tes,, crossed the boundaries of provinces and education and religion. Muslims and Christians, such as the Syrian Christians of Kerala and the Roman Catholics of Mangalore have started demanding dowry.
Official Offici al sta statis tistic tics s sho show w a ste steady ady ris rise e in dow dowry ry cri crimes mes.. Mor More e tha than n 9, 500 5000 0 women are killed every year in India over dowry. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still record the maximum number of dowry crimes, but Bangalore, India's fastest growing city also shows an alarming rise - four women reportedly die every day because of dowry harassment and domestic violence. The cases of dowry torture tortu re are the highest accounting accounting for 32.4% of crim crimes es against women in the country. The Dowry Prohibition Act, in force since 1st July 1961, was passed with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. In 1980 the Govern Gov ernmen mentt set up a com commit mittee tee whi which ch rec recomm ommend ended ed ame amendm ndment ents s in the Dowry Prohibition Act and also suggested expanding the definition of dowry and ins instit tituti uting ng fam family ily cou courts rts and Nat Nation ional al Com Commis missio sion n for wo women men.. Man Many y parliamentary debates led to some amendments in 1983,1984 and 1986.To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on the wife, Section 498-A was added in the Indian Penal Code and Section 198-A in the Criminal Procedure Code in the year 1983. The Dowry Prohibition Act clearly stipulates that a person who gives or takes or helps in the giving or taking of dowry can be sentenced to jail for 5 years and fined Rs.15, 000/- or the amount of the value of dowry, whichever is more. The Act also prohibits the giving and taking directly or indirectly any property or valuable security, any amount either in cash of kind, jewelry, articles, properties, etc. in respect of a marriage. The control is provided by stating a limit and names of gifters and their relationship to the married couple to be signed by both sides of pa pare rent nts. s. In 19 1986 86,, th the e Ac Actt wa was s am amen ende ded d ag agai ain, n, em empo powe weri ring ng St Stat ate e gove go vern rnme ment nts s to ap appo poin intt Do Dowr wry y Pr Proh ohib ibit itio ion n Of Offi fice cers rs,, wh who o no nott on only ly ha had d a preventive role but also had powers to collect evidence against people who took dowry. Despit Desp ite e pr prot otes estt by wo wome men' n's s or orga gani niza zati tion ons, s, se seri riou ous s ac acti tivi vism sm,, le lega gall amendments, special police cells for women, media support and heightened awaren awa reness ess of dow dowry ry bei being ng a cri crime, me, the pra practi ctice ce con contin tinues ues una unabat bated ed on a massive scale. Despite every stigma, dowry continues to be the signature of marriage. marri age. Women need real social, political, political, finan financial cial and moral support support in their fight against the system. They have to be empowered so that they can take their decisions about their own life by refusing the dowry system.
Domestic Violence "…the wife: however brutal or tyrant she may unfortunately be chained tothough she may know that he hates her, though it may be his daily pleasure to torture her, and though she may feel it impossible not to loathe him- (he)can claim from her and enforce the lowest degration of a human being ,that of being made an instrument of an animal function contrary to her inclinations." John Stuart Mill
The above lines reflect the brutality that one out of every three women has to face at the hands of their husbands, fathers, brothers and uncles in their homes around the globe. Domestic violence can be described as when one adult in a relati rel ations onship hip mis misuse uses s pow power er to con contro troll ano anothe ther. r. It is the est establ ablish ishmen mentt of control and fear in the relationship through violence and other forms of abuse.
It is basic basically ally an abus abuse e of power. The abuse abuserr tortu tortures res and cont controls rols the victim by cal calcu culat lated ed thr threat eats, s, int intimid imidatio ation n and phy physic sical al vio violen lence. ce. Alt Althou hough gh men men,, women and children can all be abused, in most cases the victims are women. In every country country wher where e reliab reliable, le, largelarge-scal scale e stud studies ies have been cond conducted ucted,, results indicate that between 16 and 52% of women have been assaulted by their the ir hus husban bands\ ds\par partne tners. rs. The These se stu studie dies s als also o ind indica icate te wid widesp esprea read d vio violen lence ce agains aga instt wom women en as an imp import ortant ant cau cause se of mo morbi rbidit dity y and mor mortal tality ity.. The These se physic phy sical al att attack acks s may als also o inc includ lude e rap rape e and sex sexual ual vio violen lence. ce. Psy Psycho cholog logical ical violence includes verbal abuse, harassment, confinement and deprivation of physical, phys ical, financial and pers personal onal resources. resources. For some women emotional emotional abus abuse e may ma y be mo more re pa pain infu full th than an th the e ph phys ysic ical al at atta tack cks s be beca caus use e th they ey ef effe fect ctiv ivel ely y undermine women's security and self-confidence. Violence Violen ce wit within hin the hom home e is uni univer versal sal ac acros ross s cul cultur ture, e, rel religi igion, on, cla class ss and ethnicity. The abuse is generally condoned by social custom and considered part and parcel of marital life .An example of this can be seen through the gist of a popular Spanish riddle: Question: What do mules and women have in common? Answer: A good beating makes them both better." The st The stat atis istic tics s re reve veal al gr grim im pi pict ctur ure e of th the e re real alit itie ies s pr prev evale alent nt in developing and developed countries alike. In the United States a women is beaten every 18 minutes; between 3 million and 4 million are battered each year, but only 1 in 10 cases of domestic violence is ever reported. In the United Kingdom, 1 in 3 families is a victim of assault and 1 in 5 a victim of serious assault, according to a recent report by the home office. In Austria, in 59%of 1500 divorce cases, domestic violence is cited as a cause in the marital breakdown breakdown.. In India the records of National Crimes Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs government government of India revealed a shocking 71.5% Increase in cases of torture and dowry deaths during the period from 1991 to 1995 .In 1995, torture of women constituted 29.2%of all reported crimes against women. In Bangladesh, half of the 170 reported cases of women murdered between 1983 and 1985 took place within the confines of the homes.
The question arises why women put up with the abuse in the home? The answer lies in their unequal status in society. They are often caught in a vicious circle of economic dependence, fear for their children's lives as well as their the ir ow own, n, ign ignora oranc nce e of the their ir rig rights hts before before the law law,, lac lack k of con confid fidenc ence e in themselves and social pressures. These factors effectively force women to a life of recurrent mistreatment from which they often do not have the means to escape esc ape.. The san sancti ctity ty of pri privac vacy y wit within hin the fam family ily als also o mak makes es aut author horiti ities es reluctant to intervene, often leads women to deny they are being abused. This is equally common in the higher as well as in the lower segments of a society. A wo woma man n wh who o fi file les s a ch char arge ge of ab abus use e is often often fo forc rced ed to dr drop op it by her husban hus band's d's fam family ily if sh she e wan wants ts an unc uncont ontest ested ed div divorc orce. e. Soc Social ial pre prejud judice ices s reinforce domestic violence against women. They are treated as their spouses' proper pro perty; ty; hus husban bands ds ass assume ume tha thatt thi this s su subor bordin dinate ate rol role e giv gives es the them m rig right ht to abuse their wives in order to keep them in their place. Against this background is the tradition of dowry, an expectation of gifts and cash from the bride's family, one can imagine the anxiety these expectations may cause to a woman and the consequences she has to face if it is inadequate. Women's physical and mental health is often permanently damaged or impaired and in some cases violence can have fatal consequences as in the case of dowry deaths in India. Physical torture as well as mental torture usually occurs on a regular basis causing suffering and inflicting deep scars on the psyche of the victims and
their families. Many assault incidents result in injuries ranging from bruises and frac fr actu ture res s to ch chro roni nic c di disa sabi bili liti ties es.. Do Dome mest stic ic vi viol olen ence ce ha has s de deva vast stat atin ing g reperc rep ercuss ussion ions s on the fam family ily.. Mot Mother hers s are una unable ble to car care e for the their ir chi childr ldren en properly. Often they transmit to them their own feelings of low self-esteem, helplessness and inadequacy. Violence against women is the most pervasive human rights violation in world today. We need to think and ponder as how this form of degradation of women can be stopped. It needs support from all quarters be it government, NGOs and women themselves. There is also a need to improve women's economic capacities that include access to and control of income and assets and also share in the family's property. The government should strengthen and expand training and sensitization programs. Subscribe to indiancorruption indiancorruption
Incredible Corrupt India þÿ
If you want to post any information, related with corruption in India, send us your articles, experiences, open-editorials and other materials. Contributions from individuals and/or groups are anticipated and are most welcome. Let us join hands to make India a better place for living. However, administrator of this website reserves all rights to accept or reject any contribution. For more information about how to contribute, click here. here. Corrupt politicians, corrupt judges, corrupt police officers, corrupt bureaucrats, corrupt contractors, etc. are looting our country for last 60 years. They are nothing but thiefs and criminals. Due to their plunder of public funds millions of people, including children, have died. By crude estimation, these corrupt officials constitute at least 90% of all the officers. According to standard of any civilized country they deserve rigorous life imprisonment. Origin of all the reasons re asons behind the worst Indian situations is nothing but the collective inability to make right decisions by the Indian masses; corruption, injustice, corrupt leadership, corrupt judges, corrupt bureaucrats, etc. all are the offspring of this. From The Economist (9th Oct 2003) an article on the perceived the perceived corruption of countries. Finland remains the least-corrupt country in the world, according to the latest annual index compiled by Transparency International, a Berlin-based organisation. The index, which measures perceived levels of corruption, focuses on the misuse of public office for private gain. The United States ranks as the 18th least-corrupt country, only a little less so than Chile. Botswana is reckoned to be less corrupt than Italy.
India ranks 83 in the list of least-corrupt countries. Finland is the least corrupt and ranks first; Singapore is fifth; Botswana is ranked 30th — thus leading India b y about 50 places. In the Indian neighborhood, there are no clean countries. On a scale where 10 is the cleanest, India gets a score of o f 2.8 (with a standard deviation of 0.4, 0.4 , a fairly low standard deviation.) Compared to that, China scores marginally higher at 3.5 but has a greater standard deviation of 1.0 and therefore the estimated error is larger. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Bangladesh both score — surprise, surprise — lower than India. Pakistan gets a 2.5 with a large 0.9 standard deviation, and Bangladesh has the dubious distinction of being the least uncorrupt country of the 133 surveyed by Transparency International and has a score of 1.3 1. 3 (std deviation 0.7). I suppose if Sri Lanka were in that list, it would get a higher score than India. And I also suppose that the northern states of India (UP, Bihar, etc.) would be more found to be more corrupt than the southern states (Kerala, AP, TN). Corruption and Underdevelopment
It is no mystery that underdevelopment and high degrees of corruption are highly correlated. There are causal links between the two and most likely these are bib idirectional. Corruption is endogenous in most systems and clearly reflect the do minant cultural traits. In India, the web of corruption probably has a bureaucratic core. A vast bureaucracy that is instituted to control every aspect of economic life creates the incentives for individual and institutionalized corruption. Then the “democratic” political system uses that bureaucracy to extract rents that are used for fueling the vast political machinery. Dismantling the bureaucracy would be the first step to fixing the problem of corruption in India, followed by reduction of the public sector. This would lead to reduced rents that political parties could extract through the bureaucratic machinery and have the salutary effect of getting rent-seeking thugs out of the political system in India. India’s development is critically dependent on reducing corruption.
